Denham Oaks students also help American Heart Association
By Kyle LoJacono
For the second straight year, Denham Oaks Elementary students took up jump ropes to learn healthy life habits and raise money for the American Heart Association.
“We want to teach the kids how to live a healthy lifestyle,” said Denham Oaks physical education teacher Mary Jane Kranendonk. “During P.E. they did several jump rope related activities to get them moving and their hearts pumping.”
The event ran from Jan. 24-Feb. 4 during regular P.E. periods for all 816 students at Denham Oaks. It included such activities as standard jump rope, jumping rope on one foot, jumping a hula hoop like a jump rope and team jump rope.
The students also filled out a heart-shaped piece of paper with the name of the person they were honoring by doing the exercises.
In addition, the kids went out and collected donations for the American Heart Association. Kranendonk, along with Debbie Smith and Diane Forrester, showed proper technique for the various events, but also explained the good they were doing with the money.
“Last year we collected $7,500, but that was with our health fair that we didn’t do this year,” Forrester said. “We told them they were helping people with heart problems and making their own hearts stronger.”
Kranendonk said the event raised $4,000 this year.
First grader K.J. Campbell said making the donations is something he likes doing.
“We need to jump rope to get money for people with heart problems,” Campbell said. “… I like the jump roping too.”
Fellow Dragons first-grader Kayla Bonilla likes a different jumping activity the best.
“Hopscotch,” Bonilla said. “I really like hopscotch.”
Along with the heart-healthy activities, the kids had added incentive to bring in donations. Anyone who raised at least $40 got to be a part of a sliming party. Denham Oaks administration and Kranendonk had slime dumped on them by those in the $40 club. Last year, kids got to duct tape them to a wall.
“I want to dump slime on them too,” said Tyler Rankin earlier in the week. “That’ll be fun.”
For more information on the event, visit www.heart.org.
